


Direct Methods

by Hours_Gone_By



Series: AU Yeah AUgust 2020 [12]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: AU Yeah August 2020, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:36:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26142712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hours_Gone_By/pseuds/Hours_Gone_By
Summary: Ricochet works in a flower shop, waiting for the hot etchings artist who works down the street to ask him out.Ricochet gets tired of waiting.
Relationships: Barricade/Ricochet (Transformers)
Series: AU Yeah AUgust 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860307
Comments: 12
Kudos: 25





	Direct Methods

**Author's Note:**

> Written for AU Yeah AUgust 2020. Prompt: Flower Shop

Ricochet had no idea how he'd managed to wind up working in a crystals shop, let alone being in charge of it while the owner went on vacation. That was, he _knew_ in that he'd applied the same way he'd applied to dozens of other jobs he just didn't know why he'd been the one hired. He hadn't known anything about crystals and he barely had any experience in retail. He sure didn't look like the kind of mech who'd get hired to work with crystals. But he had, and it had turned out that, well, he was actually _good_ with the things. The shop had even seen an increase in custom since Ricochet had started looking after some of the crystals. Ricochet didn't see what was so hard about it, you just paid attention to whether the crystals were cloudy, or likely to go brittle around the edges and you adjusted the mix. Presto, full, blooming crystals. Shining in the window and attracting mecha inside.

Ricochet had regulars, now. Most of them didn't come in more than once a deca-cycle. Some weren't even there to buy crystals but wanted advice. That was still surprising, but, okay, if they thought he knew what he was doing he guessed it was on them.

Then, there was Barricade. Ricochet was ninety percent sure he'd started off as a cop, since he had a factory-built cop's build, but as of now he worked etching armour. Barricade worked at – or maybe owned – an etching parlour just down the street. Ricochet had a couple etchings himself, not anything big, or fancy, and definitely not like Barricade's. Barricade's were complicated and covered most of the plating on his arms and doors, some simply carved into the metal, others filled with things like tungsten or titanium. Ricochet had looked up Barricade's DataNet site and checked out his portfolio. Mech was _good_.

Well, good with etchings, anyway. Probably lots of other things, too. But, hiding being interested in someone? Not so much. Yeah. Ricochet would believe Barricade wanted some crystals to put around the shop, but he wasn't coming in to buy and no one browsed for crystals that often. Ricochet was running out of advice and running out of patience, too. It had been fun to flirt with Barricade but even though it was obvious the mech was interested, he wasn't _doing_ anything about it. Enough was enough.

"Hey," Ricochet interrupted Barricade's questions about nutrient mix, which were almost exactly the same as a few cycles before. "How about this? You take me out for energon this evening and I'll answer all your questions and not just the ones about crystals. Okay?"

Barricade looked startled for a moment then he smiled. "Okay." The smile turned rueful. "That obvious, was I?"

Ricochet smirked. "That's a question. You're gonna have to meet me here at a groon past the eighteenth joor if you want to get any more answers. I'll let you pick the place."

"A groon past the eighteenth joor," Barricade repeated. "Yeah – yeah, I'll see you then. Alright."

A couple had come in while Ricochet and Barricade were talking and from the way they were holding hands and mooning over each other, Ricochet sensed a ritus commission coming in. He jerked his head toward them and Barricade got it.

"See you tonight," Barricade said with a nod.

"See you," Ricochet said as the mech turned to leave. He went to take care of his customers.

Yup, just like he'd thought: incoming junxies. Whatever happened between him and Barricade, he just hoped they never got this bad.

**Author's Note:**

> [Direct methods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_methods_\(crystallography\)) are involved in crystallography. Somehow. If anyone can translate that article to 'layperson' let me know.
> 
> * * *
> 
> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:  
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